As someone who speaks to college classes on occasion, I inevitably get asked about movie funding. Why? Probably because it is becoming increasingly difficult to acquire funds for movies or other creative projects, therefore new approaches are needed.
One of the reasons that it is becoming more difficult to get funding for films is because for small independent motion pictures, unless they are using alternative online distribution, are not as easily getting viable distribution deals. In other words, if an investor invests in a for-profit movie venture, she or he is not usually going to make a profit, let alone get her or his money back.
A possible solution is to go nonprofit rather than for-profit. This means that rather than getting investors for your movie, you are getting donors. But how do you get donors? They key is to have a film that addresses some important public issue therefore there is an interest in getting the word out.
The strategy then is a three part process as seen in this article.